Pre-orders for Polestar 1 now open in 18 countries

Polestar appeared at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show as a standalone brand alongside parent company Volvo for the first time this year, where Chief Operating Officer Jon Goodman told Auto Express that there were now around 6,000 expressions of interest in the coupe before a confirmed price had even been announced. On a full charge the 1 offers a pure-electric range of 150km, which Volvo says is the longest range of any hybrid production auto.

Potential UK buyers of the electrified machine can secure a place in the production queue with a €2,500 (circa £2,220) deposit, which is fully refundable should any minds change.

Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive of Polestar, said: "With over 7,000 people interested in owning a Polestar 1 since its reveal, we are extremely encouraged by the passion shown for our product".

The manufacturer has also made available a configurator for the Polestar 1 in the following regions: China, United States, Sweden, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. "We will now take the next steps towards delivering this handsome vehicle to our first customers".

To be produced in a limited number of units per year, the Polestar 1 promises to be one of the most powerful hybrids on the market. These will comprise of a mid-sizer to go up against the Tesla Model 3 and then an SUV, respectively. However, we expect prices to be higher than originally anticipated at around €150,000. See below for the 18 countries where pre-orders are now available - Australia isn't one of them.